Gouda Cheese Market: 700 Years of History

Gouda: The City Behind the Cheese: Seven Hundred Years of History

Dutch canal view with church steeple in the background. — The charming little city of Gouda

Gouda is a small, picturesque city located just south of Amsterdam. It looks typically Dutch with its canals and narrow streets. Then, of course, there’s the lively central square where the traditional Gouda cheese market takes place every Thursday morning during the spring and summer months.

Black horse and wooden wagon on cobblestones surrounded by wheels of orange cheese. — Horse and wagon waiting to be loaded with cheese

Say Cheese! The Market Square

On market days, the bustling square is the centerpiece of the city. You can browse market stalls that showcase local crafts, such as cheese making and wooden shoe carving.

But the real show takes place between the ornate town hall and the old weighing house known as the waag. This area is lined with piles of big, beautiful orange wheels of Gouda cheese. And this is where all the action takes place.

This cheese market is basically a living historical reenactment of cheese-trading rituals that have been taking place here for centuries. You’ll see horse-drawn carts, traditional hand-slapping price negotiations, and lots and lots of cheese.

Large old, two-story building of dark stone at the end of rows of cheese. — The weighing house where cheeses are weighed after purchase

Large old fashioned weighing balance with several wheels of cheese on one side and weights on the other. — The scales in the weighing house used to weigh cheese

Market Origins in the Middle Ages

The story of the Gouda cheese market begins in the Middle Ages. By the 14th century, Gouda had been granted the right to hold a market and the exclusive right to weigh and sell any cheese produced in the area. So, if local farmers wanted to sell their cheese, it had to be done in Gouda.

Closeup photo of four stacks of Gouda cheese. — Wheels of Gouda stacked in the central square

The Big Cheese

Cheese was one of the region’s most valuable commodities. And it wasn’t simply food – it could even be used as money. Farmers could use cheese to pay their taxes or settle debts. So those who owned big wheels of Gouda, really were the Big Cheese!

Cheesy Rituals

There were rituals and traditions that had to be followed in the buying and selling of cheese.

A small knife piercing an orange wheel of cheese. — Sampling the cheese before buying

Potential buyers might tap the cheese to listen for the right sound, or they could make a little hole in it to check the aroma, have a taste, and make sure all was as it should be. Only when they were satisfied could the price negotiation begin.

Two men negotiating over the price of cheese. — The farmer (in blue) and the buyer (in white coat) negotiating a price for cheese

Handslap Bargaining

Buyers and sellers used a handslapping system known as handjeklap. They would slap each other’s hand each time they named a price. Of course, the seller would be throwing out higher prices and the buyer calling out lower ones. When they would finally come to an agreed price, there would be the final big slap and a shake. This was a binding agreement.

Video showing the “handslapping” bargaining at the Gouda cheese market

Buying Cheese Was a Weighty Matter

Once the deal was done, the cheese porters would load the cheese into a horse-drawn cart and take it to the weighing house where the official scales were located. This ensured that everything was on the up and up.

A bas relief showing cheese being weighed on large scales. — The carving on the front of the weighing house showing wheels of cheese being weighed

Decline and Revival

Like many traditional markets, Gouda’s heyday faded with the rise of industrialization. Factories, trains, and modern distribution gradually replaced the need for a central market and in-person trading.

But fortunately, Gouda didn’t let its story and traditions disappear.

A young Dutch man and three young Dutch women in traditional dress. — Young market workers carry on the tradition

The Market Today

Today, the Gouda cheese market has been reborn as a colorful, historical reenactment where centuries-old traditions come to life. Visitors can see orange cheese wheels stacked on wooden pallets laid out in neat rows, traders reenact handjeklap negotiations, and cheese porters load up horse drawn wagons to carry the orange wheels of cheese to the weighing house just as they did centuries ago.

A table full of of balls of cheese in various colors. — Various cheeses for sale around the main cheese market

The Gouda cheese market is part market, part theatre, and entirely charming. It’s keeping a part of Holland’s history alive – hopefully for many generations to come.

A buyer inspecting a wheel of cheese while the farmer looks on. — The buyer inspecting a cheese

More Cheese: Other Cheese Markets

Gouda isn’t the only cheese market you can visit in the Netherlands:

Alkmaar – Has the largest and most famous cheese market.
Gouda – You know all about this one from the above article.
Edam – A smaller market.
Woerden – An authentic market with fewer tourists.
Hoorn – Has occasional cheese market events.

A store display with various cheeses stacked on an old cart with a tub of lavender in the center. — There are also plenty of shops that sell cheese of a more manageable size

A Taste of Dutch History

A visit to a Dutch cheese market is a step back in time and a chance to experience traditions that have lasted for centuries.

Whether you visit Gouda, Alkmaar, or one of the smaller markets, you’re sure to enjoy it. So, if you find yourself near one of these historic markets, be sure to stop by, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy one of the Netherlands’ most cheesy traditions.

Have you visited any cheese markets? Or do you plan to? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section.

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Margo Lestz

Margo has authored seven books and writes mostly about England, France and Italy. She has a BA in Liberal Studies with International Emphasis and enjoys travel, languages, history, writing, and experiencing other cultures.